We found some beautiful hand embroidered pillowcases for our homes. I haven't had a chance to work on mine yet -- but Mary sent me these pictures. When she got home, her pillowcases had that nasty yellow staining -- we call it "man stain" -- that is nearly impossible to get out. BUT SHE DID IT...although, it took days of soaking, and rinsing, and more soaking.
Here's a review of the technique:
- Soak them overnight in a bucket of plain warm water. When fabric gets very dry (dehydrated) -- it is at it's most fragile state. (The plain water plumps up the fibers, and makes the fabric stronger, more able to absorb subsequent treatments.)
- After the first 24 hour soak -- put them in another bucket for a second overnight soak with Mary's mega-whitening-solution:
- 1/2 cup of dishwasher soap. 1/2 cup of Clorox bleach 2 gallons of very, very hot water
- THEN -- wash them in a regular cycle (hot wash/cold rinse) with normal detergent. (I prefer Oxiclean for whitening)
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| There is NOTHING BETTER than the scent of winter-line-dried bed linens... |
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| A selfie?? Note the double rick-rack edging... |
Hanging laundry out during an Iowa/Minnesota frigid winter requires some determination and character. But so far -- I have been not had to resort to putting my sheets in the dryer.
And there is NOTHING BETTER than the winter sunshine to whiten that vintage cotton...
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| After days of soaking -- GORGEOUS..!! |
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